Summertime, Summertime, Sum, Sum, Summertime...

Summer vacation here we come!

Today is Sprout's last day of Kindergarten. My little boy is growing up (fan the eyes, fan the eyes)!

Tomorrow we begin our 3 week summer vacation journey which includes stops in North Carlolina, Philadelphia, and Upstate New York. While I am looking forward to seeing family and enjoying the upstate NY summer, I am a little apprehensive about making the trek by myself with the munchkins. Total driving time is 3 days each way-yikes!

But I am armed with our DVD player, a basket full of snacks, a bag full of $1 store toys to entertain when boredom sets in and my last resort bag of dum dums, so I am optomistic!!!!! Wish me luck!

I am also taking a vacation from posting, so to my 2 faithful readers, I'll be back!! ;)
And probably have a few stories to share about this crazy adventure when I return.

Ciao!

Happy Birthday Sprite!

"I knew you before you were born!"

And I did too.

I had a dream shortly before you were born and I could see every detail of your face-your dark hair and your deep dark eyes. You were the spitting image of your Daddy.

And you were too.

The moment I held you in my arms and starred into those deep dark eyes and saw that headful of dark hair, I saw the face from my dream and I knew that my dream had come true.

The last two years has been an amazing journey- a paradox of parenthood- both trying and fulling, filled with ups and downs, smiles and tears, moments of strength and moments of weakness. I have grown as a person and a mother from sharing these years with you.

You are an amazing little girl and I am proud to be your Mommy. You are my mischief maker, my strong-willed warrior, my sweet and silly sunshine, my rough and tumble tomboy, my sassy screaming spitfire, my cute compassionate cuddlebug, my brown-eyed beauty...

And this is "my wish" for you...

I hope that days come easy and moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

More then anything, more then anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it,
To your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more then you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish. (Rascal Flatts)

Happy Birthday Sprite!
I Love You...
To the moon and back!

Sprout Spouts Off...from both ends

This morning...


"Mommy, you look extinguished!"

"(he he he) Do you mean distinguished?"

"Yeah, distinguished."

"Why thank you."

"You're welcome. And you look beautiful and pretty and everything else nice."

(What a charmer, especially when he wants something!)

********************************************************************

At the dinner table last night...


"What did you do in school today?"

"I farted in class today."

"You did? Did anyone hear you?"

"Yeah, it was during storytime..., everyone heard it!"

"(holding back laughter) Did you say excuse me?"

"No, I laughed... and the whole class laughed!"

"We laughed so hard we disturbed the class next door!"

(That's my boy! He sure is extinguished distinguished, isn't he?)

Filch It Friday- My Bucket List

Today I’m filching from Nutmeg who filched from Clayjack who filched from Mighty Girl and from CEO Mum who filched from Nutmeg's friend Karen ...

All of these people came up with inspiring lists of things they’d like to accomplish before kicking the bucket, which led me to begin my own list of things I'd like to do before kicking the bucket.

This is certainly not a comprehensive list but it's a good start.

1. Swim with Dolphins. I have always loved Dolphins. I think they are magnificent creatures and I just seem to feel at peace whenever I am near them.

2. Drink a pint in an Irish Pub- in Ireland- not some americanized version of an Irish pub!!! I have always wanted to travel to Ireland. Something about the majestic, rugged beauty and lush green hills draws me in.

3. See the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. They are wonders for a reason and I would just like to see the mysterious beauty that Mother nature has to offer before I die. Heck, while I'm at it why not add the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World and the New 7 Wonders of the World to my list.

4. Renew my vows with the Hubs in a small, intimate ceremony.

5. Have an "unforgettable" romantic honeymoon after #4.

6. Learn to play the piano.

7. Build a log cabin in the mountains.

8. Open The Giving Tree. This is my retirement dream- to open a store in a mountain town that includes a nonprofit community grant component.

9. Travel the US in an RV. I would ideally like to visit every state and see the eclectic beauty and national landmarks that our country has to offer.

10. See my children grow to be truly happy and fulfilled.

11. Learn to Ballroom dance so I can dance with my Hubs at #4.

12. Surprise my husband with something truly amazing an unexpected. He is almost impossible to surprise. In our 12 years of marriage, I have only successfully surprised him once. It was awesome and I want to do it again but even bigger and better.

Things I can cross off of my bucket list:

1. Skydive. (I did this when I was pregnant with Sprout but didn't know it yet!!!)

2. Hot air balloon ride at sunset (this was the only successful surprise referenced in #12).

3. Travel to a foreign country. ( I traveled to Colombia South America to visit the Hubs when he was deployed.)

4. Kayak down a river. (It was only the Cape Fear River but it was a river with a few rapids nonetheless. I'd like to do this again though on a larger river!)

Training Day

My poor aching body!!!!!

Today was my first training session with a trainer and OMG I worked muscles that I didn't know existed. If today is any indication, I am in for a world of hurt and will be whipped into shape in no time (or at least I hope so). I swear the woman is a contortionist and she can do some crazy things with balls. Exercise balls people- get your minds out of the gutter-geesh!

She had me doing some lower back and ab exercises today and for a minute I thought maybe I had signed up to be in the circus. I was on a large ball (just stop it now) which was on top of a bench which was on the floor, with my legs in the air. Not a pretty picture I assure you- especially when I lost my balance, almost fell off the ball and kicked her in the head trying to save myself. All of this while two guys stood by and watched the train wreck. I so wish I was kidding!!

Anyway, since I know some of you are wondering why I have enlisted the help of a trainer I will tell you. While I was fairly successful losing about 10-12 pounds on my own by watching my diet and doing a combination of circuit training and cardio (a.k.a the abs diet), I have been doing the same few routines for 8 weeks+ now and was at a standstill. They say you should change up your routine every 6-8 weeks but I didn't know what to do next. So I hired a trainer to work with me in developing a new routine which includes weight training, core/balance exercises, abs and stretching. I only want to lose about another 5 pounds or so but would like a little more definition than what I have now and just want to be healthier/stronger in general.

I am certainly not a health nut but have definitely let things slide over the years. It seems after having my second baby and hitting the 30 year milestone back to back put the breaks on my metabolism. That coupled with a bout of depression and worsening eating habits left me feeling pretty lousy. But a trip home was the wake up call I needed.

Both of my parents are very unhealthy and seeing them unable to be active grandparents saddened me. My Dad is pushing 400 pounds and has developed diabetes. My Mom is falling apart from years of abuse to her body and her teeth are literally just falling out as a result. They both have a list of medical conditions/problems longer than my son's Christmas list (most of which, if not all, are /were preventable). And the worst part is that they are both under the age of 60! I know this is not a pretty picture but that is the point. These are my genes and this is what I have in store if I do not make some changes today. I want to be able to play on the floor with my grand kids, pick them up for bear hugs, pull them in a wagon, push them on the swings...

I guess motivation comes in many forms but this (coupled with a few other things) was the motivation I needed to become a healthier/happier me!

My next training session is on Friday so wish me luck. And a bit of coordination wouldn't hurt either. Now if you don't mind, I need to go rub down with some Icy Hot and hit the sack! (You people really oughta be ashamed of yourselves; this is totally a G-rated blog!) ;)

Wordless Wednesday-Momma's Boy

Life is a stage...

And so is our living room coffee table...

What, doesn't everyone dance on their living room coffee table on Sunday mornings?

What is that quote... "Dance Like No One Is Watching". I am just going to pretend that no one is going to see this picture of me, in all of my just rolled out of bed/ striped pajama glory, dancing on the coffee table!

And for those that don't agree with dancing on the coffee table, we just have one thing to say...

(insert sticking out tongue sound here)

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Anyway, I am bringing this post back for a chance to Win a Wii in the Nestlé “The Kid in You” Photo Contest hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom.

And for another embarassing post about me embracing my inner child, read "You Know You're Over 30 When..." I promise you, you will get a good laugh out of it!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

A few last pictures from our most recent trip to Panama City Beach.

Wordless Wednesday-Daddy's Girl

Shama Llama Mama

About that kiss...

Well, I've never been one to kiss and tell but I will tell you that I turned this Llama's frown upside down. See for yourself.

Before the kiss...




The kiss...



After the kiss...



I tend to have this affect on people- or Llamas at least!

Oh yeah baby- I am that good!!!! :)

My Mother's Day

This is how it started...

And this is how it ended...

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. " ~Rajneesh

My Sprout and Sprite- thank you for making me who I am today. Without you, the mother in me would not have been born or ever existed! Everyday I continue to learn and grow because of you! Thank you for making this day and everday so meaningful- I love you!

Recipe for Motherhood

In case you missed it last year. here is my twist on the "Recipe for Motherhood."

1 heart full of love
1 heaping sense of humor
2 eyes in the back of your head
3 gallons of generosity
6 1/2 heaping cups of patience (I like mine with cream and sugar)
1 barrel of laughter

Sprinkle with kindness, add a pinch of humility and mix well.

For best results, serve with Margarita! :)

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mom's out there. I know this is a day late but I was too busy kissing a llama yesterday to post! More on that later! :0

And if you'd like to spit coffee out of your nose this morning, you absolutely must visit my sister-in-law Amy's blog and watch the video entitled "My Thoughts Exactly!" Priceless!

Filch It Friday- Secret, Secret, I've Got a Secret

"Nothing weighs on us so heavily as a secret." Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) French poet.

There are those people out there who claim to be open books but I would wager that most of us have a chapter or two tucked away for safe keeping. Some of us may have shared our secrets with a select few true and lifelong friends to whom we can turn when the burdens seem to heavy to carry alone, others may only be safe in the hands of God. Where ever your secrets may lie, take comfort in knowing that you are not alone. "PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard" (from the website). Some are funny, others are painful, some are silly and others are poignant- but all are thought provoking and provide a glimpse into the human spirit that surrounds us.

I learned about PostSecret after reading Greeblemonkey's post entitled "What's Your Secret?" where she shared a glimmer of one of her own secrets that she carries around and was reminded of it again when my sister-in-law, Amy, and I were talking about some of the recent postcards. If your secrets are eating away at you because you keep them bottled inside, afraid of their exposure, know that you don't have to carry the burden alone. Try releasing your secrets to PostSecret. They say releasing your secret can be a cathartic experience and you may just help someone else feel less alone in the process.

And yes, I have secrets of my own but I am not going to share them here. Who knows, maybe I've sent one of my secrets to PostSecret. Head on over to PostSecret.com and scroll through the postcards; you'll never know if one is mine or not! ;) You will probably be touched in one way or another though and find that reading the secrets of others elicits emotions within you. You may even find a piece of yourself in some of the secrets.


"The time has come at last - secretsecret - I've got a secret

To throw away this mask - secretsecret - I've got a secret

Now everyone can see - secretsecret - I've got a secret

My true identity - ..." (Styx)

Moments of Weakness

We all have our moments of weakness. Or days in my case; ok fine so this seems to be my week of weakness but I can't help it! Aunt Flo is coming for a visit tomorrow and I never look forward to her stay. I get incredibly irritable, impatient and moody the week before her visit and it just escalates each day until her dreaded arrival. Honestly, I don't know who dreads it more- me or the hubs.

Last night my patience was starting to wear pretty thin but I was trying to fight it. Hubs had a pretty busy and stressful day of studying/flight planning so I was trying to hold it together. It pretty much went out the window the moment I dropped a jar of spaghetti sauce on the floor though. (Earlier, Sprite dropped a jar of peanuts in the pantry.) Looking at the splattered red mess sprinkled with shattered glass did not do much for my wavering patience. Neither did the kids trying to come into the kitchen or the dog trying to lick up the sauce laced with glass. I cleaned up the mess and tried taking the kids for a walk in an attempt to relax but it didn't work. I could feel the tension building. So we came in and I started getting the kids ready for bed. The kids and I were sitting/laying on the couch. Sprite was climbing all over me and Sprout was throwing his feet into my lap for his nightly tickle pet. The hubs who was quietly sitting in the recliner trying to relax must have seen the grumpiness just oozing out of me and simply said, "Would you like to switch places, Honey?"

This was incredibly sweet to me as he did not make me feel bad or guilty for being grumpy and impatient. He simply let me be and took over, despite being exhausted himself. He sat with the kids until bedtime and brought them both to bed. Now this is true love! A man who can see me at my worst and quietly step in without any hesitation.

I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a little guilty afterwords but the grumpies just wouldn't go away. I even tried giving into my salt/chocolate cravings, thinking it might help. This week the cravings have been incredibly strong. Maybe because I have been trying to eat healthier lately but it has definately been a losing battle this week. It doesn't help that I have little willpower when it comes to food as it is but when the cravings for salt and chocolate hit it is almost impossible to fight them. So, I devoured an entire bag of chocolate covered pretzels as I watched mindless TV and then felt guilty for that!!!!

Now I am surely not going to want to wear my new bikini this weekend at the beach between my poor eating habits this week and the unwelcomed visit from Aunt Flo!

And my poor, poor Hubs who has to endure the wrath!

Wordless Wednesday-"Toadally Cool"

Table Talk

I thought I would share this conversation between Sprout and the Hubs last night. We were at the dinner table discussing green beans.

Sprout: They squeak when you eat them (referring to the green beans). Listen real close and you will hear them squeak.

(Takes a bite of green beans) Did you hear them squeak?

Hubs: No

Sprout: Well, they squeaked!

He was being totally serious but it is so hard to take the kid seriously when he looks like this:

He is such a little comedian and always makes me laugh!!!

Nice stash dude!